Spring 2012 may have been one of Prada's most sporty, cartoonish collections yet, but we never expected to see it on actual cartoons--or, rather, vide

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Spring 2012 may have been one of Prada's most sporty, cartoonish collections yet, but we never expected to see it on actual cartoons--or, rather, video game characters. For some reason (we're not sure yet because we haven't received word so stand by...), the Italian fashion house has outfitted the cast of Final Fantasy XIII-2 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Final Fantasy series. We did a tiny bit of research and the characters typically wear more utilitiarian, warrior-ish, kind of garish outfits so Prada is definitely a step up, though not necessarily the most practical for fighting people, which is what I assume people do in Final Fantasy? That's okay though, because the characters were just getting dressed up for the latest issue of Arena Homme+ which hits newsstands April 12.

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“Our Spring issue focuses on a world of direction and escapism, and having a visually stunning videogame franchise such as FINAL FANTASY work alongside us and a leading fashion brand like Prada to create something so unique is incredible,” said Max Pearmain, Editor of Arena Homme+ in a release (via Gaming Age). “I’ve always been interested by the power of videogames and their place in society, and the amount of work that’s gone into this project blows my mind. We’re incredibly pleased with the result.”

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"Prada, of course, is known for being modern and pushing boundaries, so this collaboration isn’t a total headscratcher," writes WSJ's Ray A. Smith. Maybe, but we're still scratching our heads a little. It's definitely the most high-profile instance of a video game partnering with a fashion brand, unless you count the Dance Central choreography in that Lanvin video or Lana Del Rey's existence. Then again, it's not the first time we've found a 2-D character wearing Prada. Last year, we spotted a cartoon lady in an Air France ad in The New Yorker sporting a look from spring 2011. And if any legitimate fashion designer were to corner the market of well-dressed cartoon characters, who better than always-modern, forward-thinking Miuccia? Click through to see more photos from the spread.

Can't get enough of Prada's amazing and cerebral videos? Well here's another dose of Miuccia's medicine.
"Real Fantasies" is Prada's latest video directed by James Lima. Prada models show off their best dance moves (which range from Ginta's groovy hip swings to Stam's walk-in-place technique) to a variety of surreal, uncanny, and psychedelic backgrounds courtesy of OMA, Rem Koolhaas' hip architectural collective founded in the '70s. Existing somewhere between art image and fashion promotional film, "Real Fantasies" is sure to make anyone wish that their reality was filled with banana-prints and striped heels.